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It’s the little things — poll
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May 2, 2009 at 4:35 am #2770SantaCruzRiderParticipant
Rain day — no ride, so I got to thinking about those small things that I love about my bike and wondering if others ever ponder the same thing. Not the big stuff, like the feeling of freedom, loads of power, etc, but rather the minute things about your particular bike that you have grown to love.
So, as contrived as it may be, what do you ride and what are 3 small things you love about the bike, and for perspective — -2-3 things you don’t.
To start it off:
Kawasaki Concours 1000
Love:
1. Glove boxes (hold my gloves, shades, extra ear plugs, paperwork) 1 non-locking and never been bothered
2. 7.5 gallon tank. I commute 90+ miles a day and the range of this beast is awesome
3. Lateral resistance to wind. Full fairing catches air, but it does so in a predictable manner that leans it into the gust and makes it controllableNot-so-in-love
1. Weight. With a wet weight that is close to 700lbs., it’s a bear for short hops and honestly gets left at home for lots of store-runs that I’d look forward to if it was a Ninja 250
2. Maintenance with full fairings. OK, this is whiny given that my Concours has really needed next to no maintenance, but the fairings that gve so much comfort on my weekday all-weather rides are a PITA on weekends when I want to dork with the motor.May 2, 2009 at 4:48 am #18131briderdtParticipantLove (do I only get 3?)
1) The seemingly endless possible mod list.
2) That sweet-spot at 3500 rpm just cruising along (especially with a cut down stock muffler). I want to re-gear the bike so it’s really close to that at highway speed. I think a 17-44 or 43 will do it.
3) The stock clipons. This past week I swapped out my Heli Bars for some stock cllip ons. And it actually feels a lot better.Not so much:
1) Fuel tank capacity. Of all the mods I’ve checked out, no one seems to EVER have modded an SV to increase fuel capacity. Fortunately I’ve been getting close to 55 mpg.
2) The windscreen. Even with a Puid double bubble, I get a lot of buffeting at highway speed.
3) The stock rearset position. Fortunately I added an upside down riser plate that dropped the rearsets down an inch, but also pushed them back about a half inch.May 2, 2009 at 5:09 am #18132eternal05ParticipantBike #1: Ninja 250R
Love:
1) Mileage! 60-80mpg for the win!
2) Economics: cheap bike, cheap insurance, cheap maintenance (easy DIY), cheap to fix, cheap to replace.
3) You get to use all 6 gears every time you get on the bike.Not so much:
1) The sound…sounds like a lawn mower.
2) Ergonomics. You’ve heard it all.
3) First gear is annoyingly short. I’m sure it’s a necessity thanks to low power, but damn…Bike #2: GSX-R 600
Love:
1) Razor-sharp handling, zippy as hell.
2) Looks and sounds badass.
3) Surprisingly versatile on the street and in varying conditions, especially with engine mode selector.Not so much:
1) Insurance $$$$!
2) Almost never get out of 2nd gear unless I’m on a track or in higher-speed twisties.May 2, 2009 at 8:01 am #18133megaspazParticipantfor your dislikes:
1. 55 mpg is actually pretty damn good for a sports tourer bike more on the sporty side. If you go with a full on super sport, expect even worse gas mileage.
2. tuck! The sv650s is designed with a less agressive head light fairing. You can fully tuck underneath that double bubble windscreen… It means putting your chest on the tank.
3. no arguments here. Stock rearsets do suck on this machine.
May 2, 2009 at 10:44 am #18134MunchParticipantVulcan 900 Classic LT
Love:
1- came equipped with saddle bags, windshield and sissy bar
2-Endless possibilities for customizing and comfort
3- Powerful enough to keep up easily with the bigger boys without the insurance bill, yet mild enough to keep a non professional from worrying about exploring the ditches needlessly.
Not-so – much:
1- Fuel Gauge is off….gets annoying seeing it being on “E” and knowing you still have 1.5 gallons. Not trying to run out and push my luck but It’s a 5.3 gallon tank… every time I fill up I only put about 3.5 back in….. grrr dang’d cager habits..lol
2- The Classic LT comes with Spoke rims. This one is give or take… both spoke and mag have strengths and weaknesses. Spoke= inner tube…get a flat replace tube not tire…but stuck without tube. Mag= no tube…get flat…plug…keep chuggin, but have to replace tire :^/
3- Ummm…..edit: and whatcha mean… rain = no ride?! Not this one… as long as ther is no lightning I have come to hate the cage.
May 2, 2009 at 2:55 pm #18135MattParticipantLove:
1- The sound. It has an aftermarket pipe and power commander. Pass under an overpass and God rumbles in your ears. I prefer the sound of my bike to the Ferrari 308GTS that drives down my street every nice day.
2- Narrowness and ease of turning. Between the wide handlebars and narrow engine, maneuvering the bike is a dream. It does exactly what I want without ever overdoing it.
3- Maintenance. No fairings to remove, no valves to adjust. Only gotta change the oil and adjust the chain.
4- No windscreen. Tilt your head, and you can’t even see the mirrors. Just “flying” down the free way.Not so great:
1- Seat. Did the aftermarket seat makers pay Suzuki to put that on there, or does Suzuki think my butt is made of right angles? 30 minutes of comfort at most.
2- No center stand. There is no reason for a bike with a side mount muffler not to come with a center stand. I loved my center stand on my ZZR.
3- The sound. Sure it sounds great, but at around town speeds the volume gets to me.
4- No windscreen. Riding 80km/h into 60km/h headwind is a pretty insane thing with zero wind protection. At least on the ZZR I could tuck under the screen, can’t even do that now.May 2, 2009 at 5:32 pm #18136megaspazParticipantNot sure what everyone’s deal is with the seat… never had an issue with the seat… done quite a few 300 mile days without being worse for wear… and my butt is most definately not made of right angles…
May 2, 2009 at 5:39 pm #18137megaspazParticipantI’ll just list dislikes… assume anything else you can think of as being either a like or a doesn’t bother me…
SV650S
1. Suspension. Cheap components and very little adjustment.
2. The stock slipon. Huge, ugly, heavy, and sounds like a wimpy lawn mower.
3. The stock tires. Absolute crap.
4. Stock rearsets. Funky foot peg angle, no adjustability.Ducati 848
1. Expensive. Replacing OEM plastics and hard parts is not for the faint of heart.
2. Complex. Lots of hidden bolts. For instance taking off the plastics was a total pain in the ass.
3. stock rear sets. Don’t like ’em. Had plenty of issues of outside foot slipping when hanging off.
4. Stock tires. Don’t get me wrong, Diablo Corsa III’s are good quality tires, but I don’t like the feel of them. They take a bit to warm up and i find them too sticky. I prefer the feel of my pilot powers. Hardly any warm up time needed and I like the way they slightly slip and grab.May 2, 2009 at 9:58 pm #18138BouncingRadicalParticipantKLX250s
Likes
1) Finding offroad shortcuts around traffic in the city. Have to be careful though I got caught once, but that’s part of the adventure.
2) I like being able to do all the maintenance and mods myself. I like getting my hands dirty.
3) 70 mpg is awesome, but the range…Dislikes
1) The tank is only 2.1 gallons, so for all the good MPG you are still only getting 140 miles.
2) 2 hrs in the saddle and your ass is screaming for you to get off. Might need to look into an aftermarket seat.May 4, 2009 at 12:49 pm #18152MattParticipantWell sir, I salute you. Your ass is made of sterner stuff than mine!
May 4, 2009 at 2:44 pm #18153bigguybbrParticipantFZ6R
Pro’s::
1)Comfort – With the ajustable seat and handle bars you can really tweek it to your liking. The seat is very comfortable with a lot of padding and the bike is fairly narrow through the middle. The clutch is also nice and light, so it’s easy on the hands.2)Power – Bike is a real pussycat at low rpms, but lay on the throttle and you really move. It’s great because the bike will drive like a 250 when you are just learning and keeping the rpms down, but as you grow with it you discover there is a lot more power if you want it. Also the bike has a fair amount of torque for a sport bike, so it’s pretty forgiving and doesn’t stall too often as you are starting out
3)Handling – while this bike doesn’t have all premium suspension and braking systems, together they are all more than adequate. The conventional fork even though it’s not ajustable is ample and the rear preload is a must for someone my size. The narrower rear tire helps with lean in and keeps the bike nimble (even though I still have some chicken strips, only 1cm left though
Con’s
1) Wind protection – Like the SV650, at highway speeds the air is getting directed right at your chest. Definitly need to get a double bubble.2)Weight – at 467lbs wet weight it can be a little daunting for newer or smaller riders who aren;t used to something so heavy or can’t flat foot the bike at a stop.
3)Gas mileage – At 43mpg it’s not so hot.
4)Quiet – This bike doesn’t make much of anything for exhaust sound, which is good in that you aren’t bothering your neighbors, but it’s sound is less than inspiring. With the muffler set up as a moto gp style exiting out of from behind the right foot peg (which is great for center of gravity) it means there are no slip on exhausts in it’s future to improve the sound.
5)It’s new! – I know this doesn’t sound like it should be a con, but since this is a new for ’09 model, there are no mods out there. Bummer…
Even though I have more con’s then pro’s I really do love this bike and would recommend it to anyone.
May 4, 2009 at 3:32 pm #18155WeaponZeroParticipantLikes:
1. The look–it has the “look” of exactly what it is–a bike that can be both sporty and practical.
2. *The sound, or lack thereof–it’s very very quiet, and while some of you may enjoy having a muffler you can hear from a half mile away, I lean more toward the side of being able to start my bike up for a midnight ride without disturbing the neighbors.
3. The overall ergonomic package (minus the footpegs/rearsets)–very comfortable.
4. The engine–what’s not to like about the engine of an SV650? It rocks! The way it kicks in right away and builds up steadily, awesome!
Dislikes:
1. Fuel range–I work only about a 15 minute ride from where I live, and on your typical week where I don’t do any pleasure riding, just commuting, I need to fill up almost once a week, which is ridiculous IMO.
2. Lack of a center stand–this has brought on more swearing outbursts from me than anything a bike could possibly have. What’s the reason for not having one? Seriously?
3. Footpegs/rearsets–the overall ergonomic package works nicely but the footbegs can’t seem to decide whether they want to be racy or comfy. They’re like in this position straddling the line between the two that’s just plain uncomfortable.
4. Weight–this is a purely personal gripe because after having the opportunity to zip around on a supermoto, every bike, even my own beloved SV650, seems piggishly heavy in comparison.
I know that suspension is a common gripe among SV650 owners but I bought my bike used with upgraded suspension, so I can’t confirm this myself.
*We have a neighbor who lives a few houses down who owns a GSX-R1000 with an aftermarket pipe. He likes to take it out for rides at all hours of the night and he can’t even start it up without waking up the entire block. Because of that, our neighbors are always giving me compliments about how quiet my bike is, about how much more “considerate” I am for riding a quieter bike that doesn’t wake them up or disturb them.
May 4, 2009 at 3:45 pm #18156briderdtParticipantIt’s really not much “louder” at all, but the exhaust note is lower, so it’s easier to pick out in traffic. I can ignore the tach when I’m riding and shift more by sound and feel.
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